1/2 way mark, rate the team.

[PucksInDeep]

B, this is the regular season, nothing is seen yet.

We might win the presidents trophy but most of the teams who have were taken out in the 2nd or 3rd round of the playoffs.

Almost 30% of the Presidents' Trophy winners end up winning the Cup, and almost 40% make it to the finals. About 20% lose in the first round.

Finishing 1st in the league almost certainly gives you the best odds for winning the Cup.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Regardless of grade, I love this team and have had a ton of fun so far this season.

 

[txpd]

Makes you wonder. Trotz spent all that time in Nashville doing the NHL version of rubbing two nickels together to field a team and overperforming with his group. Now after all of that he has a team full of players where they can have all the salary cap will allow and they are a juggernaut.

What must Trotz be thinking?

Is Trotz proving that he is...gulp...perhaps a better coach than Mike Babcock?

 

[Raikkonen]

Makes you wonder. Trotz spent all that time in Nashville doing the NHL version of rubbing two nickels together to field a team and overperforming with his group. Now after all of that he has a team full of players where they can have all the salary cap will allow and they are a juggernaut.

What must Trotz be thinking?

Is Trotz proving that he is...gulp...perhaps a better coach than Mike Babcock?

Premature. What if Trotz fails another 2nd round?

 

[Roughing]

Since this isn't FantasyLand or an EA Sports game I'm going with A+

They are killing everyone and, if the injuries stay under control, need nothing.

 

[txpd]

Premature. What if Trotz fails another 2nd round?

What is premature? What Trotz must be thinking? if the caps lose early again, Trotz will prove that he is no different than any other Caps coach.

That said, this is Trotz first real legit shot. None of those Preditors teams had one.

 

[PucksInDeep]

What has most impressed me about the Caps this season is that I don't get the sense they're on some sort of hot streak (outside of a week or two in early December where Holtby was bailing them out every night). They're just winning games that they should be winning, for the most part, and keeping every game at least close.

The Caps are just playing well (despite injuries) and the rest of the league seemingly has no answer for them! They're on pace for a historic season, but I'm sure they could play even better, especially once Carlson/Orpik/Beagle are all back.

 

[HunterSThompson]

Premature. What if Trotz fails another 2nd round?

To be fair, Babcock has been losing a lot in the first and second round when his teams weren't great too.

 

[trick9]

TSN seems to appreciate the team, atleast that's what i've got from reading their half-way mark award favorites.

Ovechkin nominated for Hart
- Seems interesting. Has player ever won the Hart while having goalie running away with Vezina in his team? Holtby has been our MVP.

Carlson nominated for Norris
- I thought he was underrated slightly in last years voting, should have been right behind Josi. Again interesting since he's missed some time this season. Shame.

Trotz winning Jack Adams
- Deserved.

Holtby winning Vezina
- Deserved.

Backstrom nominated for Lady Byng
- Dud trophy.

Only listed those 5 trophies, and Calder there.

 

[billcook]

Holtby was MVP for a stretch of games before Tampa meltdown when offense has dried out and he bailed us out night after night. Overall there is no MVP on Capitals this season (so far).

First 10 games - Kuznetsov\Ovechkin [HM: Backstrom]
Next 10 games - Kuznetsov\Holtby [HM: Carlson]
Next 10 games - Alzner\Holtby [HM: Niskanen]
Last 10 games - Backstrom\Ovechkin [HM: Alzner\Niskanen]



All top guys are MVP's. Scratch that, whole team is MVP.

 

[Homerhawk]

A. They don't get a + until they pass their Final.

 

[Midnight Judges]

All top guys are MVP's. Scratch that, whole team is MVP.

I agree with this. I don't think there is a clear cut MVP this year. Could be any of Holtby/Ovechkin/Kuznetsov IMO. Maybe I would rank them Holtby/Ovi/Kuz but they are so close a few good games from any of them could change the order.

Each of Ovechkin's first 10 seasons, I think he was the clear team MVP. He always had the most points and the most goals.

 

[strungout]

A. They don't get a + until they pass their Final.

The topic is '1/2 way mark, rate the team'

You can dish out final grades after the season.

Mid Term? A+

 

[Raikkonen]

I agree with this. I don't think there is a clear cut MVP this year. Could be any of Holtby/Ovechkin/Kuznetsov IMO. Maybe I would rank them Holtby/Ovi/Kuz but they are so close a few good games from any of them could change the order.

Each of Ovechkin's first 10 seasons, I think he was the clear team MVP. He always had the most points and the most goals.

Ovi will get most points and most goals this season, probably. Sleepwalking master.

Also, previous season it was hot goalie for Hart over Ovechkin. If he's close to Kane in points in the end of the season he can get it maybe as 2 seasons accumulative accolade.

PS: OK, I've checked stats. If Kane is healthy I doubt anyone will catch him. Crazy stats. Ovi doesn't need that kind of catch.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ovi will get most points and most goals this season, probably. Sleepwalking master.

Also, previous season it was hot goalie for Hart over Ovechkin. If he's close to Kane in points in the end of the season he can get it maybe as 2 seasons accumulative accolade.

PS: OK, I've checked stats. If Kane is healthy I doubt anyone will catch him. Crazy stats. Ovi doesn't need that kind of catch.

Kane is way aahead of everyone, he's running away with the Art Ross/Hart/Lindsay trio. The only ones who have an outside shot at catching Kane are Benn and Seguin.

I do think Ovi will win the Rocket again, but I'm not really going out on a limb there.

 

[Calicaps]

Kane is way aahead of everyone, he's running away with the Art Ross/Hart/Lindsay trio. The only ones who have an outside shot at catching Kane are Benn and Seguin.

I do think Ovi will win the Rocket again, but I'm not really going out on a limb there.

Art Ross for sure. I think the Hart/Lindsay is not as certain. He's definitely on the short list, but frankly, Holtby needs to be there, also Benn, and maybe Luongo or Jagr too if FLA stays competitive.

 

[SpinningEdge]

A+ - one of best starts in history and the best start in franchise history.

Plus, all our key injuries look like they won't be season ending ones - so that's fine.

Could the team improve? Sure - but that's something that I'll grade for the second half. In terms of the 1st half this is about the best possible result the Caps could have hoped for at this point.

 

[trick9]

I don't think any skater has won the Hart -trophy when they've had the Vezina -winning goalie in that team aswell. Atleast i can't remember, might have happened when the scoring totals were insane and few teams were dominating.

It's not that the Vezina -goalie is 100% certainly the MVP (although, usually is) but it's that they eat votes out of each other. Hard to win that way.

 

[billcook]

I don't think any skater has won the Hart -trophy when they've had the Vezina -winning goalie in that team aswell. Atleast i can't remember, might have happened when the scoring totals were insane and few teams were dominating.

It's not that the Vezina -goalie is 100% certainly the MVP (although, usually is) but it's that they eat votes out of each other. Hard to win that way.

If we are to analyze list of winners from the same team, we will get the tendency:

Generational player [Morenz, Shore, Richard, Howe, Beliveau, Lafleur, Plante]
and\or
Top-20 player (at least) at their position [Hainsworth, Thompson, Lach, Durnan, Sawchuk, Mikita, Hall, Clarke, Parent, Dryden].

The only exception is Herb Gardiner from 90 years ago (that was fourth season Hart Trophy was awarded and back then defenseman dominated in voting results, kinda like right now its mainly forward award).

I could see Ovechkin and Holtby winning, but not Kuznetsov\Backstrom and Holtby, for example. [theoretically]

1926-27 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Herb Gardiner] - [Vezina: George Hainsworth]
1927-28 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Howie Morenz] - [Vezina: George Hainsworth]
1932-33 Boston Bruins - [Hart: Eddie Shore] - [Vezina: Tiny Thompson]
1935-36 Boston Bruins - [Hart: Eddie Shore] - [Vezina: Tiny Thompson]
1937-38 Boston Bruins - [Hart: Eddie Shore] - [Vezina: Tiny Thompson]
1944-45 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Elmer Lach] - [Vezina: Bill Durnan]
1946-47 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Maurice Richard] - [Vezina: Bill Durnan]
1951-52 Detroit Red Wings - [Hart: Gordie Howe] - [Vezina: Terry Sawchuk]
1952-53 Detroit Red Wings - [Hart: Gordie Howe] - [Vezina: Terry Sawchuk]
1955-56 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Jean Beliveau] - [Vezina: Jacques Plante]
1963-64 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Jean Beliveau] - [Vezina: Charlie Hodge]
1966-67 Chicago Blackhawks - [Hart: Stan Mikita] - [Vezina: Glenn Hall]
1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers - [Hart: Bobby Clarke] - [Vezina: Bernie Parent]
1976-77 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Guy Lafleur] - [Vezina: Ken Dryden]
1977-78 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Guy Lafleur] - [Vezina: Ken Dryden]





Goalies that won both:

1961-62 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Jacques Plante] - [Vezina: Jacques Plante]
1996-97 Buffalo Sabres - [Hart: Dominik Hasek] - [Vezina: Dominik Hasek]
1997-98 Buffalo Sabres - [Hart: Dominik Hasek] - [Vezina: Dominik Hasek]
2001-02 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Jose Theodore] - [Vezina: Jose Theodore]
2014-15 Montreal Canadiens - [Hart: Carey Price] - [Vezina: Carey Price]




Although, it is worth noting the following for Vezina Trophy:

When introduced, the Vezina Trophy was awarded to the top goaltender in the league. Several winners, including Hainsworth in 1927 and Gardiner in 1934, did not have the lowest goals-against average. In 1946, the NHL Governors further clarified the criteria for winning. It was to go to the team with the fewest goals scored against it during the season. The goalie playing the most games for the team was awarded the Trophy. In 1965, the NHL Governors began allowing teammates to share the Vezina Trophy. From 1965 to 1981, the Vezina was awarded to any goaltenders who played 25 or more games for the team allowing the fewest goals against.

The NHL adopted the current criteria for the Vezina Trophy beginning in 1981–82. The William M. Jennings Trophy was created as a new award for the goaltender(s) playing 25 or more games for the team allowing the fewest goals against.

So under last voting system it hasn't happened once. Most of it because of Gretzky\Lemieux\Hasek domination (14 Harts in 19 seasons) and non comparable (to old times) parity in salary cap era (last 11 seasons).